


you know what i mean

by PenelopeJadewing



Series: fictober 2018 [15]
Category: Naruto, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Gen, but they're still rivals, can't stop won't stop, this may be an AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 09:50:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16447568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PenelopeJadewing/pseuds/PenelopeJadewing
Summary: Sasuke wants to climb as high up the Hero rankings as he can. He needs to gain as much public favor as he can in order to achieve that, so that someday, he can begin advocating for real change in this crooked society. He will ensure the wrongs done to his brother are never repeated...He certainly doesn't need some petty rivalry getting in his way.





	you know what i mean

The Pro-Hero Insight makes sure he remains on his patrol partner’s right hand side, and keeps his head turned just so he doesn’t have to glimpse that hideous orange abomination he calls a Hero costume.

Bad fashion sense is one thing. Ever since he was a child, Sasuke’s dealt with that with Izuku, and frankly, he’s adjusted. A little. Maybe he still clowns his friend for it now and then, especially when tabloids and fashion mags release casual photos of Deku in a classic All Might hoodie, Uravity tank, off-brand shorts, and hand-me-down sneakers. But… he’s generally more tolerant of it now than he used to be.

Uzumaki Naruto—or, on duty, the Kitsune Hero: Kyuubi—is a different story entirely.

This is beyond bad fashion sense. It’s no sense at all. It’s like he couldn’t even afford a thrift store so he picked up a caution tarp and got some color-blind designer to actually use the fabric for his jumpsuit and sew it with mismatching navy thread.

On top of that… it’s a  _jumpsuit_. Not even a body suit. Frumpy, baggy. No hint of aerodynamics whatsoever.

If worst comes to worst and a villain shows up on this patrol, Sasuke won’t be able to count on Uzumaki to be a quick mover. It’ll be up to him. The troublesome nature of this unfortunate match-up makes him sigh—for the seventh time.

“Geez,” Uzumaki says, glancing his way if the sudden clarity of his voice is any indication. Sasuke still has his asymmetrical bangs as a curtain between him and the orange monster. “You got a demon you’re trying ta exorcise over there or somethin’?”

Sasuke rolls his eyes heavenward. “No, Kyuubi. It’s called a sigh. Generally done when people are tired, irritated, or oxygen-deprived. Sometimes all three.”

The neon Hero grumbles a little. “Well then, whaddya sighing so much for? It’s makin’ me depressed.”

“Your uniform is making  _me_  depressed.”

“Hah!?” Something shoves Sasuke’s shoulder—presumably Uzumaki’s hand—not hard, nothing he can’t recover from with a single step, but… he also could’ve dodged it had he used his Quirk. But then, it’s hard to see things coming when your hair’s in the way… Hm. This could be a potential flaw in his own design preferences. Something to rethink later.

Oh, Uzumaki said something. Sasuke missed it.

So he just doesn’t say anything.

Apparently, Uzumaki takes this as an excuse to continue. “You’re just jealous that my outfit draws all the attention, ya know?”

At that very moment, a pair of high school girls hurry across the street toward them, their squeals and giggles preceding them. There’s no denying who they’re after and, with yet another sigh, Sasuke halts his steps to prepare for their arrival. Better to get this over with sooner than later. At least, as he said, Uzumaki’s outfit should draw all their attention. If not his outfit, then surely his bright hair and stupid grin.

However, Sasuke’s surprised when the two instead make a beeline for him, dodging Uzumaki’s greeting in order to crowd in front of him instead. His head rears back a bit, trying to maintain some semblance of personal space, and yet despite himself, the smallest of smirks creeps onto his face for the convenience of coincidence. How fitting. He shoots his smirk in Uzumaki’s direction, willing it to ooze his smug victory, and with his head turned, he’s rewarded to see a squinty-eyed pout on the other Hero’s face.

_Serves you right, peacock._

The girls, stuttering and blushing and barely able to look Sasuke in the eye, bounce on their heels and manage to piece together matching requests for his signature on their school notebooks. He expects as much and signs each one as quickly as possible, but not without proper flourish for Uzumaki’s sake. This is all a part of the occupation… Heroes need to reach the people they protect. The people they inspire. And judging by the notes he glimpses on the notebooks’ lined pages, these two are Hero students as well. Even more reason to give them the cool, collected Pro he knows they expect.

He’s still on his way to the #3 spot. He needs the influence of rank in order to initiate the changes to the system he wants… and he needs ratings to get there.

“Hey, you want me to sign too?” Uzumaki offers with a toothy smile as the girls gush their appreciation of Sasuke’s penmanship. He jabs a thumb against his own collar. “We work at the same agency!”

The girls quiet a little, seeming to remember Uzumaki’s even there, which despite being somewhat annoying, still brings the smirk back to Sasuke’s face. Because he enjoys seeing the twitch in Uzumaki’s brow and knowing just how much the difference in approach is getting under his skin.

It’s not that Sasuke hates the guy… he’s not horrible, other than his wardrobe choices. It’s just as easy for Sasuke to annoy him as it is for Uzumaki to annoy Sasuke, and he considers it turnabout’s fair play. It’s a satisfying demonstration of ‘what goes around, comes around.’ And theirs is a seemingly endless cycle that’s almost on par with Sasuke’s dynamic with Bakugou.

The girls seem to have recovered themselves and return Uzumaki’s smile with their own, though they’re not nearly as bubbling and overwhelmed as when they approached him. They let him sign their notebooks, he makes small talk, asking about their studies and which school their from. Shiketsu, they say. His alma mater, apparently. That makes them brighten a little.

“This loser over here went to U.A., you know?” Uzumaki says, gesturing in Sasuke’s direction with a casual thumb. His crooked smile says this factoid is meant as anything but a compliment. He’s probably making an attempt at solidarity, singling Sasuke out as the odd one.

But Sasuke just smirks on, knowing what will come of that.

“Oh, we know!” One of the girls nods emphatically, going starry-eyed again. Usually, it would be enough to make Sasuke curl his lip and roll his eyes, but the crestfallen look that passes over Uzumaki’s face is too priceless for him to particularly complain. “That famous class! Is it true you know Uravity and Ground Zero?”

“Or that you’re best friends with Deku??” the other chimes in, and suddenly, they’re pressing close to Sasuke’s side again.

He does his best not to look uncomfortable while he answers. He really just wants to get on with his patrol… “Yes, both are true. Uravity’s a good friend, Ground Zero’s an a** as usual, and I’ve known Deku since we were children.”

They look positively awed at this confirmation and mutter amongst themselves. Sasuke changes another glance toward Uzumaki, who’s just staring at him with a dirty look on his face.

Sasuke snickers.

“Yeah, well,” Uzumaki blurts, straightening and attempting what Sasuke thinks is supposed to be a cool pose, “I know quite a few—”

“Unfortunately, ladies,” Sasuke interrupts without shame, “we’re actually on patrol right now. It’s a Hero’s duty to make sure the streets are safe for you, so if your business is concluded, we must insist to be on our way.”

They hurry to agree, apologizing for keeping them and bowing their gratitude before hastening off, back to the side of the street they came from. A woman exits one of the shops there and waves for them, and they hurry to her side, babbling their excitement at their encounter.

Sasuke resumes his brisk walk without bothering to wait for Uzumaki. He doesn’t need to anyway; the other Pro sprints to catch up and fall into step beside him. Sasuke’s hair saves him from the atrocious orange once more.

“Okay, that’s it,” says Uzumaki, out of his line of sight, “you are now officially my rival.”

Sasuke resists another sigh. “Please don’t.”

“Come on! I don’t like you, you don’t like me. We have a good rival kinda chemistry, ya know?”

This time, there’s no way to help the grimace that twists his face, and he actually has to cast a glare at his blond companion. “Don’t ever say the words ‘we have’ and ‘chemistry’ to me again.”

“I felt it!” Uzumaki insists with a raise of his palms. “You know what I mean!”

“I can’t say I do.”

“We’d both get some great publicity out of it!”

Sasuke sighs heavily. “Kyuubi?”

“What?”

“Drop it.”


End file.
